INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — The stage is set for the USATF 2022 Cross Country Championships presented by Toyota at Mission Bay Park in San Diego, California. Eight Olympians will lead competitors to the line this Saturday, January 8 for the chance to be crowned some of 2022’s first national champions.
Consisting of six separate races - the Masters Women 6 km, Masters Men 8 km, U20 (Junior) Women 6 km, U20 (Junior) Men 8 km, Open Women 10 km, and Open Men 10 km - the first race begins at 9:30 a.m. PT with the final race going off at 1:50 p.m. PT.
Spectators of all ages can get in on the action with a community 4 km run at
Tokyo marathon bronze medalist Molly Seidel leads the women’s entries, and she will be joined by Olympic Games teammate Alicia Monson, who finished 13th in the 10,000m. Emily Infeld, the 2018 USATF champion, was a 2016 Olympian in the 10,000m.
Olympic steeplechasers Benard Keter and Hillary Bor top the men’s entry list, and a trio of Team USATF runners from the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro will offer stiff competition. Leonard Korir, who won national cross country gold in 2017 & 2018, and Shadrack Kipchirchir, the 2019 winner, were both in the 10,000m at Rio, and Ben Blankenship was a finalist in the 1,500m there.
Reigning women’s champion Natosha Rogers, who won by 22 seconds in 2020, is back to defend her title, while Lawi Lalang is the top returning man after placing third two years ago.
More than $18,000 of prize money will be up for grabs with $2,000 being awarded to the winners of the open men’s and women’s races as well as $1,000 for the age-graded masters champions.
Results can be found here.
Olympians Entered
- Emily Infeld - 2016 10,000m (2018 XC Champion)
- Alicia Monson - 2020 10,000m
- Molly Seidel - 2020 Marathon bronze medalist
- Ben Blankenship - 2016 1,500m finalist
- Hillary Bor - 2020 3,000m Steeplechase; 2016 3,000m Steeplechase finalist
- Benard Keter - 2020 3,000m Steeplechase finalist
- Shadrack Kipchirchir - 2016 10,000m (2019 XC champion)
- Leonard Korir - 2016 10,000m (won XC title in 2017 & 2018)
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